March 28 letters to the editor

This is in response to the March 21 letter by Bob Lee, "Support Danville's isolationism."

Many times in life it's the squeaky and loud "few" who can create a negative perspective of a situation. I truly believe the large majority of Danville residents do not endorse "isolationism."

Contrary to the negative picture created by "the few," Danville is not made up of people who see themselves as "entitled" and wanting to exclude others, but rather of responsible, caring families from all walks of life.

We value those things that create a safe and welcoming place for our families, neighbors, schools, churches and merchants. We strive to care for our veterans and senior citizens (of which we have many) and to honor our children with excellent schools and sports programs.

We, too, are embarrassed by some of the insulting, irresponsible and poorly chosen words of some of "the few." Danville is not like that.

Sharon Ritchey

Danville

Abuse and neglect must be reported

I am referring to the Times article, "Special report: School abuse laws neglected."

As a student currently pursuing a master's degree in social work, it saddens me to read articles about abuse of children. What is even more disheartening, the abuse often is coming from the individuals entrusted to protect children.

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While the article focused on the lack of training and reporting in the school districts, it failed to highlight the fact that the abuse they refer to is coming from teachers themselves. This is where the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act could be strengthened.

School officials will almost always try to protect their districts and, in many cases, protect the teacher. Look at the example of Cal's swim coach and the two other cases discussed in the article. There should be stronger language in the act and regulations specific toward mandated reporters who fail to report because they're protecting their interests rather than the child.

California's Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act was established to safeguard our children, yet educators who are mandated reporters have not done their jobs.

Roberto Alvarado

Richmond

Solution is to grow the economy

The sequester has shown the government can tell us blatant lies and issue gross exaggerations about the sequester's impact.

It has started people wondering why they have to cut costs when payroll taxes go up 2 percent but government spending of $15 billion more this year than last is a draconian cut. They wonder why the House of Representatives has passed a budget every year but the Senate has not passed one in four years.

A 1921 law requires the president to present a budget to Congress by the first Monday of February; this has not been done. We have never collected as much in income taxes as we do today but the federal budget is running an annual trillion dollar deficit.

We see the White House closed to all visitors, when just the cost of President Barack Obama's weekend with Tiger Woods would have kept it open for three years.

Countries with lower government spending have better economies. National income has been stagnant for four years. The solution to sequester is to grow the economy.

Gregg Manning

Clayton

Reserving rights of citizens

In response to Marion McIntire's recent letter, I don't believe the authors of the Second Amendment intended the right to bear arms to be limited to muskets and flintlocks.

The Second Amendment was meant to reserve the rights of U.S. citizens to resist and to defend themselves against oppressors and or aggressors, whenever the government was unable, unwilling or could not act with the required expeditiousness.

Oppressors and aggressors have at their disposal squad automatic weapons, machine pistols and automatic rifles with clips that can hold 30 bullets or more and shoot hundreds of rounds a minute.

Even as things stand today, it could be very difficult for persons armed with a semi-automatic pistol, rifle or shotgun to defend themselves against one or more individuals armed with high-capacity automatic weapons.

I have never shot a musket, but it appears to me it would take 10 or more seconds to reload one. How would that work if you had two or more thugs kicking your door down?

Floyd R. Colton

Pleasant Hill

Correction

A letter written by Brian Grigsby of Pleasanton on March 25 had an editing error. The correct name for a group mentioned in the letter is Celeste Garamendi's Friends of Tesla Park.